Visions of Sugarplums dance in their heads | Gift Guide 2013

Happy Christmas Eve! There are just a few more hours left before the big day, Christmas and everyone is still busy sprucing up, grocery shopping and gift shopping. Fir those of you still at a lost for what you should gift, here’s a round up of my Gift Guide for 2013 along with some last minute suggestions.

For the guys in your life click here to see all the fabulous things you could get them.

If there are a couple ladies on your list, then I would definitely click here.

Then there are those gifts that might not have crossed your mind.

Finally for the crafty or those who try to be, here are 15 DIY gift ideas.

I don’t know if you had noticed but I completely omitted Makeup and beauty items from my ladies’ gift list this year. Truth is, I forgot, and then got just a tad too busy to post it. There were so many beautiful and interesting gift sets from the makeup world this year I can’t wait to see next year’s! I hope to get a head start on posting about them too! It would be a shame to post it know as so many of them are already sold out and since it’s Christmas Eve people are probably going bonkers to find them.

BUT, a great last minute gift idea is to get someone a gift card to one of their favourite stores. I’m sure I’ve mentioned gift cards before on my blog too. I think the least nonchalant way to give a gift card is to put it along with something else, like a stocking stuffer, a smaller gift or a very sincere greeting card. That way it doesn’t scream, “I didn’t know what to get you, so here…”

Also doing the smaller things like getting the person’s favourite movie on DVD, or perhaps buying the lip balm/ deodorant/ lotion they always use or lose or run out of, shows you appreciate the person for the little things. Just replacing batteries on one of their watches is a good way to show you are paying attention and care. Christmas shouldn’t be only about giving the “best gift”, but also about realising the persons who are vital in your life, just as God is. He sent His own son as our gift to be a bigger part of our lives than persons back then even understood. So in celebrating with all of the gifts, food, and parties, let’s not forget the greatest gift that has been given to us, Jesus Christ. I’m not a close to God as I should be, but if it’s one thing, I always remember at Christmas and Easter, there was some one who cared so greatly for us, that He sacrificed his one and only son for me (and you too).

I probably won’t have the time to post tomorrow with all the festivities going, but I want to wish you all a Happy, Safe and Blessed Christmas!

PS: Check back Thursday for another Healthline guest post on Preventing Shingles

15 DIY Gift Ideas | Gift Guide 2013

Hey all! Around Christmas time it always seems like our budgets are the tightest. There are so many people we appreciate in our lives that we want to get them all a gift or two. However we can’t always do that with the price of some items. Here are a few affordable DIY gifts that can be small tokens of appreciation for the people in your life. Great for us students who have limited budgets! Many of them seem pretty easy, even for persons like me who can’t draw any fancy designs.

Apologies that this post is so late, I really did not get the chance to post this earlier today, but I hope you do enjoy it!

Personalised mugs/ candle holders

Message Candle Holder

Mason Jar Mug Cozies

Personalised Mugs

DIY Jewellery

Flower Earrings

DIY Mineral Rings

DIY Bangles

Knick Knacks

Button Bookmarks

DIY Ring holder

DIY Air Freshener

DIY Chevron Coasters

Beauty

DIY Glitter Polish

DIY Glitter Lipbalm

DIY Lemon Soap

Magnetic Makeup storage

DIY Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

Treats

Rum Ball cookies

Perfect Hot Cocoa Gift

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gifts you might not have thought of | Gift Guide 2013

Hey all! Sometimes we can be suck in a rut when it comes to gifting and end up giving the same kinds of gifts every year. It gets boring, but I’m here to help you with some gift ideas that might have never crossed your mind. I know some of these definitely hadn’t crossed mine until I researched for this post. All the things mentioned are useful pieces!

Sunglasses

 Casual, cool, sophisticated, shades are a functional accessory that can do some outfits total justice. You can go affordable and buy a few pairs of inexpensive fashion sunglasses, or take the plunge to gift a designer pair of sunglasses to a very deserving person.

Roku

Source

I just recently learned about this and I think it’s a fantastic idea n these times of internet television. What even is this thing? Similar to your cable box or MCTV boxes we having in Barbados, this box allows you to watch tons of movies, games, TV shows via internet stream. You just plug it into your Tv, connect it to the internet and then watch your shows. (I wonder if this works in Barbados, because it seems fabulous!)

Source

Casual Suits (we’re going for that Neal Caffery look)

Source

I’m still young and inexperienced, plus I’m a girl so when I asked my boyfriend about this, he said men are into suits, which I was quite shocked by especially given that we’re in our early 20s. But it would make sense, because just like watches, smart suits really make the look of a guy. It’s that one thing that guys have to get into wearing, whether it be from church (starts from early ages here in Barbados), or in their field of work when they leave university.

Liquor Flask

Source

For the rough days, that are ahead. Trust that there will be those. I found these fun ones on Etsy.

Source

Remote Control Car

This one was brought to my attention by one of my closest guy friends, Blackman. Apparently, these are very high tech and some can go up to 80mph. Big graduation from those flimsy types we played with as children. Remember hoping not to crash into anything because the whole care would literally shatter? These more sophisticated models for definitely more durable, justifying the hefty price tag for some. You can even change parts for them!
Since I’m no expert on this, furthermore I’m now finding this out, here’s a link of the top 10 RC cars from Complex Rides.

Cooking or Bakeware

Source

This is perfect for avid bakers or those who love to play around in the kitchen. Sometimes you just can’t get that new pan, or even a cooking gadget that would make your life so much easier.  A gift that keeps giving, especially if you’re on the receiving end of the baked goods!

Here’s a 5-piece Bakeware set from Bed, Bath & Beyond, and the 6-piece set also.

Pets

Source

Adopting a pet for someone who’s always wanted to get a cat, dog, hamster, iguana, etc, is a great way to show that you care. Giving them a companion who will be there to remind them of you, as well as to love. there’s nothing that beats pets… ok maybe there is but some are so cute and cuddly it’s sometimes hard to decide. I only suggest this for responsible persons though, because you don’t want to bring that pet from a what might have been bad home into another.

Source

7 Cadeaux pour Femme | Gift Guide 2013

Hey all! For us ladies, we think it’s so easy to get us a nice gift, but sometimes it really isn’t. Here are 7 gifts bound to help you find at least something for the ladies on your list.

Smell goods.

Bath products, body sprays, scented lotions, perfumes, you name it and most ladies love it. We all love hoarding lots of pretty smelling things to make ourselves or around us smell pretty. Let’s not even start on how much I love candles. It’s a good thing I’m in a place where the really nice ones are limited. But buy a girl some smell goods and she’ll be happy!

Skincare.

This gift would take some “stalking” or a really good, discrete friend telling you what favourite skincare item she’s been running out of. Us ladies love to make sure or faces and skin is on point. Especially if you’re a Caribbean lady, no ashy skin, be it elbows or knees. I think certain body lotions call under both skincare and Smell goods simply because of the great ingredients they may have in them.

Jewellery.

A fabulous lady once said, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Now I’m not saying to rob a bank for these gem, not every lady is into very expensive jewellery anyway, but something to remember you by in terms of jewellery, never hurt. Don’t over-expense yourself though. That’s a very important guideline. Stick to you budget and when things get better, then you can really splurge on a Tiffany’s bracelet or a diamond ring.

Books.

A very affordable option for ladies. I love my books, although I haven’t gotten around to reading as many as I have downloaded as yet. You can go the traditional route and buy her a paperback from one of her favourite authors, or maybe just something with an interesting title. Or you could see what’s on her wishlist for eBooks, because with Kindles, tablets, Nooks and all kinds of digital readers, sometimes it’s more convenient (and cheaper) than a trip to the book store.

Hair tools.

Source

Flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers do get worn out. There are also updates to them, similar to technology. I think a really great gift would be a hair tool (not drugstore) which has a very good quality and is supposed to last a long time. Also something with a lot of versatility, so your receiver can get the most out of it. A few brands that have a lot of hype around them are Nume, GHD, Chi, KQC and Babyliss. It’s really easy to find them online too, and some of the sites always have a coupon code available for a very sizeable discount.

Nail Polish.

Source

Although nail polish may seem like one of those cheaper gifts, some girls always feel more put together and glamorous when their nails are nicely manicured. You want to do you research before buying nail polish though, especially with what’s available here in Barbados. So you don’t end up getting her the same/similar colour she has, or getting her a dud of a polish which is streaky, sheer and a pain to use. For affordable options I suggest Ruby Kisses which has very improved their quality, as well as Revlon, Maybelline, O.P.I. and Essie. Or if you want to really treat her like a queen, you can pick up a MAC nail varnish, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Deborah Lippmann or one of the other high end brands.

Accessories.

Some gals just can’t have enough of bags, purses and shoes. Maybe her day-to-day handbag is showing some wear. You could definitely get her a good, sturdy replacement in a colour she’d love. Shoes are a bit more tricky, but it could also be said for all the accessories mentioned to take some advice from the lady in your life, or take her along with you to shop for these items. Then there’s no going wrong with getting her the perfect accessory.

7 Cadeaux pour Homme | Gift Guide 2013

Hey all! Everyone’s been busy doing gift guides since November, and I’m yet again late to the game. Anyway, better late than never right?  This year I decided to do the first 2 post titles in French as I miss the language, after studying it for like 5 years. Go figure!

Liquor.

If your dude is a social drinker, you could treat him to a special/ holiday edition of this favourite liquor. Something to keep in the liquor cabinet for when the good friends and relatives are over, or to have a few swigs after a long day. I love how the special edition bottles always have such nice packaging.

Music.

Guys just love their music, so why not get them a nice pair of headphones for when they want to listen to their favourite artist? Also when you’re into music, you want to always be on top of the game, so a gift card for a few downloads, like an iTunes card is always a hit, not to mention it’s budget friendly too! If you’re looking to treat them,  you could get them some really awesome surround sound speakers to go along with the gift card.

Games.

When guys get together one of the first things they talk about is games, so why not get them one of the latest releases for Xbox, Sony PS3/4? Assassin’s Creed, Need for Speed Rivals, Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty?  If you do your research and the game they most want isn’t out as yet, you can always get them a gift card to their favourite gaming store, so they can purchase it on release date! They always seem to get a kick out of that.

Cell Phones.

Since purchasing my phone, I hardly pay attention to mobile phone releases. Ok, maybe I never really was too interested in the latest. I was happy as long as the phone was small, cute, fast and had a good camera for Instagram hahaha. But guys on the other hand are like us gals when it comes to phones and electronics. Every new release piques their interest. So listen closely to find out the one phone they’ve been drooling over and get that one. (Hopefully a newer model won’t come out in the next month that they want to get too!)

Watches.

 

A smart watch always makes for a smart-looking guy, and many of them seem to love the look. You don’t always have to splurge when it comes to watches, a nice sturdy fashion watch could do the trick, especially if it’s for everyday wear. But if you really want to go the extra mile you can get him a Citizen Eco Drive watch which is supposed to last for ever, a TAG Heuer, Rolex, Swatch or any other brand along those lines. You could even go for the more affordable options of Seiko, Casio or Fossil. It all depends on your budget.

BluRay Discs or DVDs.

 

Most guys love TV so you know this one strikes high on their lists, though they won’t tell you that. Get your bro, uncle, nephew, BF, or guy friend one of their favourite series/movies on BluRay or DVD. Downloading it online is one thing, but there is nothing like owning the show you love and having it at your convenience.

Car Accessories.

If you have a guy with a car, you will know they are obsessed with pimping out their vehicle, sometimes putting more into its look than their own person appearance, hahaha. If their mats are lookign a bit wore, or maybe the seats need a bit of an upgrade, you can always purchase them a set of mats or seat covers. Of Maybe to give it a really nice sprucing up, you may want to get them a gift card for a full body service. If you’re really looking to splurge you could get them the rims of their dreams!

Disclaimer: Images are not my own. This is not a sponsored post.